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I am a Marine Corps Veteran, a speaker, an explorer, an entrepreneur and a success coach. After recovering from a life of drugs in high school, I enlisted in the US Marines despite being told by two separate doctors that I would not be able to survive boot camp because of a debilitating medical condition called Thallasemia.

During my six years in the Marines, I earned a bachelors degree in history and philosophy, a masters degree in journalism from the prestigious S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and I spent 7 months fighting the war in Iraq as a non-commissioned officer.

In my spare time, I pushed the limits of my fears in the outdoors. I have climbed mountains in the Himalayas, Africa, Bolivia, Alaska and the Cascades. I have been skydiving, scuba diving, caving, rock climbing, ice climbing, ice diving and mountain biking. In May of this year, I spent one month skiing across the second largest icecap in the world in Greenland. In temperatures as low as -40 degrees, I dragged a sled weighing 190 pounds across 350 miles.

Since then I have started two businesses: an adventure company and Human Potential Development LLC, where I help others live every day with passion and purpose through coaching, public speaking and transformational workshops. I am also a trained success coach by the ICF accredited coach training program.

While running my two businesses, I continue to explore the most hostile environments on the planet and share the wisdom I have gained from a life on the edge with others so that they too can cross their icecaps and reach their summits.

For more information, please visit existing2living.com

What Fear Truly Is

Fear is not your enemy. Fear is your friend. Embrace it, welcome it and push past it to find your true destiny that lies waiting for you on the other side. All growth springs forth from venturing out into the unknown. Out there beyond those fateful frontiers of your perceived limits lives your greatness. The infinite possibilities available to you in life lie waiting for you in unchartered territory. You simply have to choose to embark upon that voyage. To get everything you want in life, you must be willing to do something you have never done and be someone…

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How Do I Move Past My Fear?

"I have been overwhelmed by FEAR of almost everything my whole life. I have been diagnosed with GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). but it all boils down to fear. I am 47 years old and want to finally live life instead of just safely exist!" ~ Nadine, Mountain View, CO Dear Nadine, The problem is that we all resist emotions, even though we have no control over what first shows up in our minds. The Buddha refers to this as having two darts in the body. The first dart is what shows up without our control. It's the fears, the moment we…

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How Do I Live in the Now?

"I've read a lot about living in the present moment, but yet I find myself in the past or the future most of the time, trapped in drama. How does one actually stay IN the present moment? Any hints on tangible things I can do?" ~ Elena, Anchorage, AK Dear Elena, The first step to create any change is to take 100% responsibility for all areas of your life. I notice that in the question, you say that you are "trapped in drama". I understand what you mean, but your language patterns shape your destiny, so consider that you are responsible…

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How Can I Recover From the Death of My Spouse?

"My wife died a few months ago after a long illness. She was suffering a lot, so I'm glad she's out of the pain, but I still miss her SO much. My friends want me to start dating again, but I can't let go. How do I recover?"  ~ Nikhil, Arcata, CA Dear Nikhil, I am so sorry about your wife. Traumatic events sometimes feel impossible to recover from. I myself have lost a friend and fellow Marine to the war in Iraq. I recovered from that tragedy when I embraced it. Accept the grief of losing your wife; don't…

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How Can I Find the Time to Meditate?

"I've heard that meditation and exercise will make my life work more smoothly, but I never find the time for this. How can I make this a priority?" First get clear on why you want to meditate or exercise. Your why is the fuel that keeps you moving forward when obstacles come in the way. If your children's lives depended on you exercising, would you make time? Once you are clear on your why, here are a few tips that will help you increase your productivity and "make time" for mediation and exercise: Chunk your time into focused blocks where…

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How Do I Find the Courage to Quit?

"I really need to quit my job but have a family to support. The biggest obstacle is money and time. Can you please provide any tips on courage and taking the business leap?" ~ Erick, Henderson, NV For starters, you could start a side business and keep working until the side business generates enough income to quit. That is what I did when I first quit my job. Fear often replaces courage when we become overwhelmed by the monumental nature of the task ahead, like "how am I going to build a business with enough income to support my family."…

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Gandhi’s Secret of Life

No matter what you do or who you are, life is filled with challenging moments. At times, navigating through the obstacles that lie between health, wealth and happiness can be downright miserable. Struggle is common to the human condition. But the ability to embrace the struggle and move forward despite it is surprisingly uncommon. This is what keeps this country spending 190 billion dollars a year on obesity related illnesses. This is why only 4% of Americans are millionaires. How can we change this? How do we welcome struggle and keep charging onward to an empowered destiny. To find an answer,…

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